Concerns, thoughts, & perceptions about curriculum and ELLs/ESL:
I think having an ELL student in the classroom is a unique opportunity to bring culture into the classroom. I love the idea of incorporating the ELL student’s (and all students’!) culture into the curriculum whenever possible. I think many teachers have a negative outlook on ELL/ESL students in the general education classroom, as they do require additional planning and preparation if they are to be properly included in the day’s activities and lessons. I have seen first-hand an ELL student in the general education classroom that was left out by the teacher during group work and classroom participation. I don’t think the teacher wanted the student to feel left out, I just don't think she was properly trained on how to handle this type of differentiated instruction. She admitted to me that she felt as though the school just “dumped him” on her without providing her the adequate support to give him the instruction he needs. This negative outlook on the situation broke my heart. The general education classroom is forever changing in regards to culture and lifestyles and it is important for teachers and schools to be prepared to handle all types of diversity. I hope when I have my own classroom I really employ the use of visuals, hands-on activities, and group work to aid instruction.
March 25, 2015
Descriptions of methodologies (strategies) that you may implement with this population:
With ESL students, I think it is very important to make as many real-world connections for them as possible. To accomplish this, I would employ the use of both realia and environmental print often. Clearly labeling common areas and items would also help students connect words to their meanings.
In order to connect with the student and make them more comfortable, I would learn as much as I could about their culture. I think it could be very interesting (and fun!) to incorporate their culture into the curriculum as often as possible. This would not only help them make real-life, relevant connections between their culture and ours, but it would also teach the rest of the class about different cultures. To reinforce this (and depending upon the ESL student's level of understanding) I would adjust or limit the use of idioms. These can sometimes be confusing to some students.
Because social interaction aids in the learning process for ESL students, I would let the students work in small groups daily. I would also engage the class in choral reading so the ESL student could gain a better understanding of reading fluency.
April 29, 2015
You pick the topic so long as it relates to ELL/ESL; it should summarize your learning in some manner:
I have learned a lot about the ELL population this semester! If I could summarize it in one term it would probably be “Differentiated Instruction”! It is important to connect with all domains of language learning, which are reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Instructions should be grammar based, communication based, and content based. Realia, graphic organizers, environmental print, and classroom labels are all examples of the different instructional aides that should be employed when teaching ELL students. I also learned that the Language Experience Approach (LEA) is a very effective strategy to use when instructing ELL students. With this method, you integrate language arts as children listen, speak, and read about their own personal experiences and ideas. ELL students need social development in addition to the hands-on learning strategies for optimal growth. All of these things are part of effective differentiated instruction application.
March 4, 2015
Concerns, thoughts, & perceptions about curriculum and ELLs/ESL:
I think having an ELL student in the classroom is a unique opportunity to bring culture into the classroom. I love the idea of incorporating the ELL student’s (and all students’!) culture into the curriculum whenever possible. I think many teachers have a negative outlook on ELL/ESL students in the general education classroom, as they do require additional planning and preparation if they are to be properly included in the day’s activities and lessons. I have seen first-hand an ELL student in the general education classroom that was left out by the teacher during group work and classroom participation. I don’t think the teacher wanted the student to feel left out, I just don't think she was properly trained on how to handle this type of differentiated instruction. She admitted to me that she felt as though the school just “dumped him” on her without providing her the adequate support to give him the instruction he needs. This negative outlook on the situation broke my heart. The general education classroom is forever changing in regards to culture and lifestyles and it is important for teachers and schools to be prepared to handle all types of diversity. I hope when I have my own classroom I really employ the use of visuals, hands-on activities, and group work to aid instruction.March 25, 2015
Descriptions of methodologies (strategies) that you may implement with this population:
With ESL students, I think it is very important to make as many real-world connections for them as possible. To accomplish this, I would employ the use of both realia and environmental print often. Clearly labeling common areas and items would also help students connect words to their meanings.
In order to connect with the student and make them more comfortable, I would learn as much as I could about their culture. I think it could be very interesting (and fun!) to incorporate their culture into the curriculum as often as possible. This would not only help them make real-life, relevant connections between their culture and ours, but it would also teach the rest of the class about different cultures. To reinforce this (and depending upon the ESL student's level of understanding) I would adjust or limit the use of idioms. These can sometimes be confusing to some students.
Because social interaction aids in the learning process for ESL students, I would let the students work in small groups daily. I would also engage the class in choral reading so the ESL student could gain a better understanding of reading fluency.
April 29, 2015
You pick the topic so long as it relates to ELL/ESL; it should summarize your learning in some manner:
I have learned a lot about the ELL population this semester! If I could summarize it in one term it would probably be “Differentiated Instruction”! It is important to connect with all domains of language learning, which are reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Instructions should be grammar based, communication based, and content based. Realia, graphic organizers, environmental print, and classroom labels are all examples of the different instructional aides that should be employed when teaching ELL students. I also learned that the Language Experience Approach (LEA) is a very effective strategy to use when instructing ELL students. With this method, you integrate language arts as children listen, speak, and read about their own personal experiences and ideas. ELL students need social development in addition to the hands-on learning strategies for optimal growth. All of these things are part of effective differentiated instruction application.